Room heater



E. C. BOOTH Feb. 24, 1942.

ROOM HEATER Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNvENTOR in C500 r/r,

ir rae/vf rs.

Feb 24, 1942- E. c. BOOTH 2,274,469

ROOM HEATER Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 4 "hum",

1N VENTOR.

547162900 J BY M l r roe/vs Ys.

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 2.274.469 noon nanna' l l Earl C..Booth, Columbus, Ind., assigner to Nobmum-l litt-Spark! corporation of Indiana Application August 2, i940, Serial No. 349,609

(ci. 21a-ssl SCiaims.

My invention relates to space heaters oi the type in which air is acted upon by a fan and caused to pass over anl electrical resistance heating element. Broadly, it is the object of my invention to simplify the construction and operation of such heating elements and to lessen the cost of their manufacture. More speciilcally, it is my object to provide for such a heater a sheetmetal support for the heating element, which support will include portions forming a shroud tor the fan. Another object of my invention is to simplify and lessen the cost of manufacture of the casing within which the heating element and fan are enclosed. A further object of my invention is to provide the heater with an improved form of switch-operating mechanism which can readily be operated by the foot of the user.

1n carrying out my invention,- I form the easing l of four sheet-metal parts, namely a base, two opposed side walls, and a strip of sheet metal bent into a general U-shape forming the back, top, and the front walls of the casing, theback and front walls being provided respectively with air admission and air discharge openings. Within the casing I mount a sheet-metal heatingelement support which is generally rectangular tor-driven fan located in the rear of the heating element. The switch controlling operation of the fan and heating element is of the tumbler type and is mounted in the casing-base with the axis oi the tumbler generally horizontal and coaxial with an operating rock-shaftwhich is connected to the tumbler and extends outwardly through the base where it is provided with an operating pedal by means of which it can readily be rocked either to openor close the switch.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. i is a vertical section through the heater on the line I-I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section on the lineJ 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top pian view of the heating-element support in partially finished condition; Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive are, respectively, a top plan view, a front elevation, a side elevation, and a rear elevation of the finished heating-element support; Fig. 8 is a view similar toFlg. 4 showing the connections to the heating element mounted in the support; and Fig. 9 is a tic view illustrating electrical connections.

ea, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a

As will be apparent from Figs. l and 2, the heater casing comprises a base I5 having a depending peripheral ilange I6 forming front, rear. and side walls. The base is supported from the tl'oor or other supporting surface through the medium of legs I1 which are secured to the lower surface of the base and which are desirably provided with feet I6 of rubber or other resilient material. The upper or main portion of the casing comprises two sides 20 and a single strip of sheet-metal 2| bent into a general inverted U- shape and forming the back, top, and iront walls of the casing. Desirably, the sides 2li are provided with inwardly extending iianges 26' which are overlapped by the strip 2l and secured thereto as by spot welding.

For the purpose of attaching the upper portion 2li-2| of the casing to the base I5, there is attached to the base a bracket 25 bent from sheet metal into a generally inverted U-shape and having a front wall 26, a top wall 21, and a rear wall 2l. The lower ends of the front and rear walls 26 and 26 of the bracket 2 5 are bent inwardly and secured to the upper wall of the base .I6 in any desired manner. The upper portion 2li-2l of the casing ts over the bracket 26 and is secured to the front and rear walls 26 and 28 thereof as by means of screws 26.

The front wall of the casing 2-2I is provided with an air outlet opening desirably covered by a grill 3l, as shown in Fig.'2; while the rear wall of the casing is provided with a series of louvers l2 aifording openings for the entrance of air. For the purpose of facilitating handling of the heater, a tongue 33 in the rear wall of the heater may be bent inwardly to leave an openingfor the insertion of the ilngers.

Within the upper portion 26-2l of the casing there 4are disposed an electric motor 3l and a fan 35 driven thereby. The motor is mounted upon a support 36 in the form of asheet-metal stamping which is secured to the upper wall 21 of the bracket 25 and to the inwardly bent tongue 33.

` sive. This support is in the form of a stamping having a generally rectangular body portion l2 the vertical side edges of which arey turned rearwardly to form stiiiening anges 43 and the 66 lower edge of which is turned rearwardly to form a flange 44 overlying the top wall 21 of the bracket 25.

The upper portion oi the heating-element support is bent rearwardly to form a flange having a front portion 46 parallel with the flange `44, an upwardly and rearwardly extending intermediate portion 41, and a generally horizontal rear portion 48 adapted to be attached to the upper end of the motor-bracket 36 as by means of a screw or bolt 49 (Fig. 2). The rear portion 48 may be materially narrower than the body portion of the heater support. and the intermediate portion 41 may taper more or less gradually inwardly toward the rear portion 48.

In the center of the body portion 42 of the heating-element support, I provide a relatively large air-passing opening formed by bending rearwardly out of the plane of the'body portion 42 two generally rectangular tongues 5I of sheetmetal. In the operation of cutting out the heating element support, the top, bottom, and inner edges of the tongues l are freed from the balance of the blank, but are integrally joined thereto at their outer vertical edges. These tongues, after having been bent to extend rearwardly as indicated in Fig. 4, are curved vertically as shown in Fig. 'I to form a shroud partly encircling the fan 35.

The heating element 40 is carried in the heating-element support through the medium of upper and lower strips of insulating material 55 and 56 secured respectively to the flanges 46 and 44 as by means of bolts 51. The two strips 55 and 56 are provided with a series of alined slots which receive straight portions of the several stretches of the wire forming the heating element 40, the ends of such heating element being connected to binding posts 60 and 6I mounted in the upper strip 55.

Mounted on the motor bracket 36, conveniently near the top thereof is a socket 63 for an electric light bulb 64 shown in Fig. 9. By employing a red light bulb in the socket 63, a certain amount of red light will emanate from the opening in the front wall of the heating casing, adding to the appearance of the heater when in operation. The pleasing appearance Just referred to is enhanced if the socket 53 is mounted above the opening in the front wall of the heater-casing and if the grill 3i is formed of horizontally extending bars having generally horizontal upper surfaces disposed to reflect upwardly and outwardly light from the lamp bulb in the socket 63.

Current for the heater is supplied through Awires B5 and 66 leading from a conventional connecting plug 61. These supply wires are connected to the terminals of the heating element 40, one of 'the supply wires, shown in Fig. 9 as the wire 66, including a switch 6B. The lamp socket 63 is connected to the supply wires 65 and 66 by wires 69 and 10. In the particular heater illustrated in the drawing, the motor 34 operates at a voltage materially less than that which is imposed upon the heating element 40, and the heating element 40 is therefore used as voltage-reducer, the motor being connected by wires 1i and 12 across only a portion of the heating element.

Desirably, the connection of the lamp socket 63 and the motor to the supply wires 65 and 66 is effected in the upper heating-element supporting member 55, as will be clear from Fig. 8. To this end, the binding posts 60 and 6I, to which the ends of the heating element are respectively connected, project upwardly through the flangeportion 46, where they receive the ends of the supply wires 55 and 65, respectively. The two wires 49 and 10 leading to the lamp socket 5I are also connected to the two binding posts Il and 4i. The two wires 1i and 12 extending to the motor 34 are connected respectively to the binding post 60 and to a third binding post 15 which is mounted in the'insulating member Il and which is connected to an intermediate point of the heating element 44. The intermediate flange-portion 44 is provided with openings 'I4 and 11 providing clearance ior the several binding posts II, Il, and 15 and for the terminal portions o! the heating element 40.

For the purpose of supporting the wires 44, 10, 1|, and 12 free from any possibility of contact with the heating element 40 or the fan l5. these wires desirably extend through openings 1I in the intermediate flange-portion 41. Such openings are formed before the blank is bent to its final form, and their edges are desirably rolled as indicated at 19 to prevent abrasion of the wires which pass through them.

'I'he switch 6I, whichcontrols the supply of current to the ian-motor, heating element 40, and light socket 6l is desirably a switch of the tumbler type. and is mounted in a recess in the upper wall of the casing-base i5 with its actuating member ll extending downwardly through a slot in such wall, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2. A rock shaft 82, coaxial with the tumbler Il, is supported in the casing-base and projects forwardly through the front-wall thereof, where it is provided with an operating pedal 8l. 'I'he rear end of the shaft 82 may be supported in a tongue 84 bent downwardly from the upper wall of the casing-base. In rear of the tongue I4, there is pinned to the rock shaft 82 a yoke 85 formed to embrace the tumbler 0| of the switch il. By employing the foot to rock the pedal Il in one direction or the other, the switch Il may be opened and closed at will.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device oi' the class described, a casing, said casing comprising a base portion and an upper portion, said upper portion having two" opposite side walls formed as sheet-metal stampings provided with inwardly directed iianges at their front, rear, and top edges and an intermediate portion formed as a generally U-shaped strip of sheet metal, the side edges of said intermediate portion overlapping and being secured to said side-wall flanges, said intermediate casing portion being provided in its rear and front walls with air-inlet and air-outlet openings respectively, a fan and fan-driving motor supported from said base within the upper-casing portion, said fan being operable to cause air-flow through such upper casing-portion, and an electrical resistance heating element also supported from said base within the upper casing portion and disposed in the path of air moved by said fan.

2. In a device of the type described, a casing having a base portion and an upper portion, said upper portion having an open lower end, a top wall, side walls, and rear and front walls, the latter walls having air-inlet and air-discharge openings, a fan and fan motor supported from said base, an electrical resistance heating element also supported from said base in the path of air moved by said fan, said upper casing-portion being vertically movable relative to said base alternatively to expose and enclose said fan and heating element, and means for releasably holding the upper portion o! said casing in association with the base.

3. In a device of the type described, a casing having air inlet and discharge openings, a ian for moving air through said casing and disposed therein, an electrical resistance heating element mounted in said casing in the path of air moved by said fan, an electric motor driving said fan, a tumbler switch for controlling the supply oi current to said heating element and motor, said switch being mounted in the lower portion oi' said casing with its axis substantially horizontal, a rock shaft co-axial with said switch and projecting from said casing, an operating pedal on the projecting portion of said rock shaft and having two arms projecting opposltely from the axis thereof, and an operative connection between said rock shaft and switch whereby the latter may be alternatively opened and closed by manipulation ot said pedal.

4. In a device of the class described, a combined heating-element support and Ian-shroud, said support being in the form of a sheet-metal atamping having an approximately planemain portion provided with a generally rectangular central opening across which a heating element is adapted to extend, the opening in said support being formed by the rearward bending o! two tongues joined to the balance of the support at opposite sides of the central opening therein. said tongues being bent to form a shroud adapted partially to encircle'a rotatable fan.

5. In a device of the class described, a combined heating-element support and fan-shroud, said support being in the form of a sheet-metal stamping having an approximately plane mainy portion provided with a generally rectangular central opening, said support having at the top and bottom of said opening provisions for the mounting of a heating element extending across the opening, said opening being formed by the rearward bending of two tongues joined to the balance o! the support at the opposite vertical side edges of the central opening therein, said tongues being bent to form a shroud adapted partially to encircle a. rotatable ian.

EARL C. BOOTH. 

